Belgacom SA

With 5.5 billion euros in revenues and 24,000 employees, Belgacom
reigns as Belgium's largest phone company. Though privatized,
it's still majority-owned by the Belgium government (50% plus
one share).

Home to Belgacom are two 28-story blue reflective glass towers
situated a 15-minute walk from Brussels' famous Grand Square
in the city center. The lobby area is huge with two receptionists
and a security guard manning the reception desk. How huge? Big
enough to easily engulf the display of a man standing on the
ground with a pulled-open parachute hovering way above him. After
checking in with a receptionist I take a seat on one of 16 black
chairs. Three flat screen televisions keep visitors occupied
or else one can check for emails (like I do) using one of the
three computers perched on kiosks. Three flags (Belgium, European
Union, Belgacom) are displayed and I note the royal seal of Belgium
hanging on the wall near the reception area which essentially
means Belgacom has been given the two thumbs-up by the King of
Belgium to be the official supplier of telecommunications to
the royal family.

Gilberte Geerts, Corporate Communications Coordinator, answers
questions and shows me around. Roughly 5,500 employees work in
the two towers. Senior management gets reserved parking spots,
there are no onsite recreational facilities, meeting rooms are
named after famous doctors and smoking in the building is not
permitted. There's covered parking for those riding bicycles
to work, one of Brussels' main train stations lies just a stone's
throw away and there's no formal dress code. Employees eat in
the company cafeteria with management enjoying the view and food
from the top floor Sky Club. I can't see CEO Didier Bellen's
office because "he's in".

In the picture accompanying this story you'll notice near the
top of the two buildings a connecting walkway (skywalk). We're
crossing the skywalk and stop in the middle as Geerts points
out various landmarks in the distance. As she's talking I look
down and suddenly get very, very nervous. Why? It's the realization
that there's nothing between the ground and me except for a piece
glass under my feet. Thankfully Geerts lets me make a beeline
to the other side.